Process of concentrating ores



Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,040.31: 7 raocass or ooucanm'rmc onus Leslie D. Anderson, Salt Lake City, Utah, asslgnor to Potash Company of America, a corporation of Colorado No Drawing. Application Octob'er 1c, 1934,

Serial No. 748,471

9 Claims. 01. zooice) is had to the well known flotation process of concentrating ores to which the present invention is particularly adapted.

An essentiality of the flotation process is that the ore in a finely divided condition be suspended in water or other liquid and subjected to agitation and/or aeration in the presence of an agent which has a preferential amnity for the metalliferous constituents of the ore over baser matter, thereby causing the values to rise to the surface of the liquid in a froth which subsequently is removed by overflow.

Obviously, the flotation process as hereinabove described is applicable only to ores which are non-soluble since the values to be entrapped in the froth must necessarily be held in suspension in the liquid, with which the ore is intermixed, in a solid condition, and the present invention as applied to a flotation process of concentrating ore, has for its aim to apply said process to ores whose valuable constituents go into solution when mixed with water or other liquid.

While the invention as hereinafter to be described is adapted for the concentration of various soluble ores, it is more particularly adapted to the treatment of ores containing potassium chloride as their desirable valuable constituents,

and it is in this connection that the steps involved in the process according to the present invention, will now be described.

The ore with its soluble matter, is in a finely 'purpose and in the treatment of potassium chloride ores, a soap formed by the union of cottonseed oil and caustic potash has been found to bring effective results. However, other re-agents may be used in the process within the scope of the invention, which, briefly, involves the -use of a carrying body for the finely divided ore consisting of a saturated solution either of the PATENT OFFICE RHssuEu ore itself,.or,of its soluble constituents, and the employment of an appropriate re-agent, the nature of which may be varied'in accordance with the particular character or condition of the material under treatment.

Since any of the well known apparatus for the concentration of ores by flotation, may be employed in the performance of the present process, it is thought unnecessary to submit drawings for the purpose of illustrating the various actions relied upon, to carry the process into practise.

What I claim and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. The process of concentrating ore containing potassium chloride, by flotation, comprising mixingthe'ore in a. finely divided condition, 'with a saturated solution of potassium chloride, and subjecting the mixture to a froth flotation action, inclusive of the use of a frothing agent, formed by the union of cottonseed oil and caustic potash.

2. The process of treating potassium chloride ores comprising the treatment of such ores in a saline solution. having potassium chloride partides in undissolved form, preferentially filming the undissolved potassium chloride particles with flotation reagent and floating said potassium chloride particles on the surface of the solution.

3. The process'of treating potassium chloride ores comprising the treatment of such ores in a saline solution having potassiumv chloride particles in undissolved form, preferentially filming the undissolved potassium chloride particles with froth flotation reagent and froth floating said potassium chloride particles on the surface of the solution. I

4. The process of treating potassium chloride ores, comprising the treatment of such ores in a saline solution, having potassium chloride particles in undissolved form, preferentially filming the undissolved potassium chloride particles with a saponaceous flotation reagent, and floating said potassium chloride particles on the surface of the solution.

5. The process of treating potassium chloride ores, comprising the treatment of such ores in a saline solution, having potassium chloride particles in undissolved form, and subjecting the potassium chloride particles to agitation in the presence of a flotation agent of the collector type having a selective amnity for one of the constituents of the ores.

6. The process of treating potassium chloride ores, comprising the treatment of such ores in a saline solution, having potassium chloride par having a selective aflinity for one of the constituents of the ores. V p r 7'. The process of treating potassium chloride ores, comprising the treatment ofsuch ores in a saline solution, having potassium chloride particles in undissolved form, and subjecting the potassium chloride particles to agitation and aeration in the presence of a flotation agent of the collector type having a selective afllnity for one of the constituents of the ores. a

8. In a flotation process consisting in the treatment of ores having potassium chloride and sodium chloride constituents suspended in a saturated solution or the ore to form a pulp, the

step 01' subjecting the pulp a; a mu: flotation treatment in the presence of a reagent having Preferential aflinity for one of said constituents, whereby to induce a selective floating of one of the saidconstituentstor its separation 45 from the other constituents of the pulp.

9. In a flotation process consisting. in the treatment oi soluble ores having potassium chloride and sodium chloride constituents suspended in a saturated solution of the ore to 10 tive floating 01' one of the said-constituents for 15 its separation from the other constituents of the pulp.

LESLIE D. ANDERSON. 

